Bṛhaspatismṛti · Chapter 1.6

sākṣiṇām eṣa nirdiṣṭaḥ saṃkhyālakṣaṇaniścayaḥ /
likhitasyādhunā vacmi vidhānam anupūrvaśaḥ //

ṛṇādike 'pi samaye bhrāntiḥ saṃjāyate yataḥ /
dhātrākṣarāṇi sṛṣṭāni patrārūḍhāny ataḥ purā //

deśācārahutaṃ varṣa māsapakṣādivṛddhimat /
ṛṇisākṣilekhakānaṃ hastāṅkaṃ lekhyam ucyate //

rājalekhyaṃ sthānakṛtaṃ svahastalikhitaṃ tathā /
lekhyaṃ tat trividhaṃ proktaṃ bhinnaṃ tad bahudhā punaḥ //

bhāgadānakrayādhināṃ saṃviddāsaṛṇādibhiḥ /
saptadhā laukikaṃ lekhyaṃ trividhaṃ rājaśāsanam //

vibhāgapatram ity etad bhāgānāṃ nirṇaye kṛtam /
sīmāvivāde nirṇīte sīmāpatram iti smṛtam //

dānalekhyaṃ bhāgalekhyaṃ sīmālekhyaṃ tathaiva ca /
krayalekhyaṃ dāsalekhyam ādhilekhyaṃ tataḥ param //

saṃviduddāmlekhyaṃ ca jayapatrakam eva ca /
sandhipatraṃ tathaivaitat kriyābhedād anekadhā //

ādhyartham ādhilekhyaṃ syād dāsārthaṃ dāsapatrakam //

samīhitārthasiddhyarthaṃ grāmaśreṇigaṇādibhiḥ /
śāstrāvirodhi dharmārthe kṛtaṃ saṃvittipatrakam //

bhrātaraḥ saṃvibhaktā ye svarucyā tu parasparam /
vibhāgapatraṃ kurvanti bhāgalekhyaṃ tad ucyate //

bhūmiṃ dattvā yas tu patraṃ kuryāc candrārkakālikam /
anācchedām anāhāryaṃ dānalekhyaṃ tu tad vidhuḥ //

gṛhakṣetrādikaṃ krītvā tulyamūlyākṣarānvitam /
patraṃ kārayate yat tu krayalekhyaṃ tad ucyate //

jaṅgamaṃ sthāvaram bandhaṃ dattvā lekhyaṃ karoti yat /
gopyabhogyakriyāyuktam ādhilekhyaṃ tu tat smṛtam //

grāmo deśaś ca yat kuryān mattalekhyaṃ parasparam /
rājāvirodhi dharmārthe saṃvitpatraṃ vadanti tat //

vastrānnahīnaḥ kāntāre likhitaṃ kurute tu yat /
karmāhaṃ te kariṣyāmi dāsapatraṃ tad iṣyate //

dhanaṃ vṛdhyā gṛhītvā tu svayaṃ kuryāc ca kārayet /
uddhārapatraṃ tat proktam ṛṇalekhyaṃ manīṣibhiḥ //

pūgaśreṇigaṇādīnāṃ yā sthitiḥ parikīrtitā /
tasyāstu sādhanaṃ lekhyaṃ na divyaṃ na ca sākṣiṇaḥ //

pūgaśreṇyādikānāṃ tu samayasya sthiteḥ kṛtam /
sthitipatraṃ tu tat proktaṃ manvādismṛtivedibhiḥ //

dattvā bhyymyādikaṃ rājā tāmrapatre paṭe 'tha vā /
śāsanaṃ kārayed dharmaṃ sthānavaṃśādisaṃyutam //

mātāpitror ātmanaś ca puṇyāyāmukasūnave /
dattaṃ mayāmukāyādya dānaṃ sabrahmacāriṇe //

anācchedyam anāhāryaṃ sarvaṃ bhāvyavivarjitam /
candrārkasamakālīnaṃ putrapautrānvayānugam //

dātuḥ pālayituḥ svargaṃ hartur narakam eva ca /
ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi dānacchedaphalaṃ likhet //

samudrāvarṣamāsādi dhanādhyakṣākṣarānvitam /
jñātaṃ mayeti likhitaṃ sandhivigrahalekhakaiḥ //

evaṃvidhaṃ rājakṛtaṃ śāsanaṃ tad udāhṛtam /
deśādikaṃ yasya rājā likhitaṃ tu prayacchati //

sevāśauryādinā tuṣṭaḥ prasādalikhitaṃ hi tat /
pūrvottarakriyāvāda nirṇayānte yadā nṛpaḥ /
pradadyāj jayine lekhyaṃ jayapatraṃ tad ucyate //

yad vṛttaṃ vyavahāre tu pūrvapakṣottarādikam /
kriyāvadadhāraṇopetaṃ jayapatro 'khilaṃ likhet //

sādhayet sādhyam arthaṃ tu catuṣpādanvitaṃ jaye /
rājamudrānvitaṃ caiva jayapatrakam iṣyate //

anyavādyādihīnebhya itareṣām pradīyate /
vṛttānuvādasaṃsiddhaṃ tac ca syāj jayapatrakam //

mumūruṣuhīnaluptārthair unmātavyasanāturaiḥ /
viṣopadhibalāt kāra kṛtaṃ lekhyaṃ na sidhyati //

dūṣito garhitaḥ sākṣī yatraiko viniveśitaḥ /
kūṭalekhyaṃ tu tat prāha lekhako vāpi tādṛśaḥ //

yad ujvalaṃ cirakṛtaṃ malinaṃ svalpakālikam /
bhagnaṃ mliṣtākṣarayutaṃ lekhyaṃ kūṭatvam āpnuyāt //

darpaṇasthaṃ yathā bimbam asat sad iva dṛśyate /
tathā lekhyasabimb āni kurvanti kuśalā janāḥ //

tathyena hi pramāṇaṃ tu doṣeṇaiva tu dūṣaṇam /
evaṃ duṣṭaṃ nṛpasthāne yasmiṃs tad dhi vicāryate //

vimṛśya brāhmaṇaiḥ sārdhaṃ vaktṛdoṣaṃ nirūpayet //

yena te kūṭatāṃ yānti sākṣilekhakakārakāḥ /
tena duṣṭaṃ bhavel lekhyaṃ śuddhaiḥ śuddhaṃ vinirdiśet //

dattaṃ lekhye svahastaṃ tu ṛṇiko yadi nihnute /
patrasthaiḥ sākṣibhir vācā lekhakasya matena ca //

sthānabhraṣṭās tv akāntisthāḥ saṃdigdhā lakṣaṇacyutāḥ /
yatraivaṃ syuḥ sthitā varṇā lekhyaṃ duṣṭaṃ tadā bhṛguḥ //

uddharel lekhyam āhartā tatputro bhuktim eva tu /
abhiyuktaḥ pramītaś cet tatputras tat samuddharet //

jñātvā kāryaṃ deśakāla kuśalāḥ kūṭakārakāḥ /
kurvantisadṛśaṃ lekhyaṃ tad yatnena vicārayet //

lekhyam ālekhyavat kecil likhanti kuśalā janāḥ /
tasmān na lekhyasāmarthyāt siddhir aikāntikī matā //

strībālārtān lipyavijñān vañcayanti svabāndhavāḥ /
lekhyaṃ kṛtvā svanāmāṅkaṃ jñeyaṃ yuktyāgamais tu tat //

trividhasyāsya lekhyasya bhrāntiḥ saṃjāyate yadā /
ṛṇisākṣilekhakānāṃ hastoktyā śodhayet tataḥ //

udyāmam udayādānād ādhānaṃ phalasaṃgrahāt /
pratiyogidhanāḍhyatvāj jñeyaṃ yatropadhiḥ kṛtaḥ //

darśitaṃ pratikālaṃ yac chrāvitaṃ smāritaṃ ca yat /
lekhyaṃ sidhyati sarvatra mṛteṣv api hi sākṣiṣu //

vācakair yatra sāmarthyam akṣarāṇāṃ vihanyate /
kriyāṇāṃ sarvanāśaḥ syād anavasthā ca jāyate //

lekhyaṃ triṃśat samātītam adṛṣṭāśrāvitaṃ ca yat /
na tatsiddhim avāpnoti tiṣṭhatsv api hi sākṣiṣu //

prayukte śāntalābhe tu likhitaṃ yo na darśayet /
na yācate ca ṛṇikaṃ tat saṃdeham avāpnuyāt //

kulaśreṇigaṇādīnāṃ yathākālaṃ pradarśitam /
śrāvayet smārayec caiva tathā syād balavattaram //

yadi labdhaṃ bhavet kiñ cit prajñaptir vā tathā bhavet /
pramāṇam eva likhitaṃ mṛtā yady api sākṣiṇaḥ //

āḍhyasya nikaṭasthasya yac chaktena na yācitam /
śuddharṇāśaṅkayā tatra lekhyaṃ durbalatām iyāt //

unmattajaḍabalānāṃ rājabhītapravāsinām /
apragalbhabhayārtānāṃ na lekhyaṃ hānim āpnuyāt //

atha pañcatvam āpanno lekhakaḥ sākṣibhiḥ saha /
tat svahastādibhis teṣām viśudhyate na saṃśayaḥ //

ṛṇisvahastasaṃdehe jīvato vā mṛtasya vā /
tatsvahastakṛtair anyaiḥ patrais tallekhyaniṛṇayaḥ //

lekhye saṃśayam āpanne sākṣilekhakakartṛbhiḥ /
duṣṭeṣu teṣu taddhasta kṛtapūrvākṣarādibhiḥ //

na jātu hīyate lekhyaṃ sākṣibhiḥ śapathena vā /
adarśanāśrāvitābhyāṃ hāniṃ prāpnoty upekṣayā //

ataḥ parīkṣyam ubhayam etad rājñā viśeṣataḥ /
ekam eva bhavel lekhyam ekasyārthasya siddhaye //

anekeṣu tu lekhyeṣu doṣam utpādayed api /
deśācāraviruddhaṃ yat saṃdigdhaṃ kramavarjitam /
kṛtam asvāminā yac ca sādhyahīnaṃ ca duṣyati //